


Fevers and Grief

by BlackFury



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 22:32:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackFury/pseuds/BlackFury
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After losing Rose at Canary Wharf, the Tenth Doctor becomes a little careless and contracts a fever.  Finally, TARDIS nudges him and he goes to find an old friend to help him and ends up reaching a new level of friendship and understanding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He stood at the console, sweat pouring from him as his vision blurred. He had caught this fever on Carolon 4 by being stupid but, after losing Rose to the parallel dimension, he really didn't care but now, he needed help, he needed someone he could trust. The problem was, this dratted fever kept his memory shifing but finally, he remembered a name, a face and smiled. "I can go there, I hope." He began setting coordinates. He had to stay conscious until he reached his destination. His willpower was the only thing keeping him going right now.

In San Francisco, Grace Holloway awoke to another perfect California day. It was the start of her month long vacation and she planned to spend it at home. She wasn't much for travel and that brought her thoughts back to her friend, The Doctor. She smiled, remembering that outfit that had her calling him her "Victorian Gentleman". That was almost eight years ago. She wondered about him every night when she looked up at the stars. She had been looking up in the direction he had pointed out for Gallifrey, his home but, she hadn't seen anything there, not even a bright spark.

She walked out into her small backyard patio with her mug of coffee and sat down to read her paper when she heard a sound. She cocked her head to listen and then, her mouth dropped open. It couldn't be, she thought but then, the wheezing and groaning sound grew louder and she watched as a blue police call box materialized and landed with a loud "Whump". she held her breath as the door opened and a tall,lanky man in a suit and a brown trench coat stumbled out. "Grace," was all he got out before he collapsed.

She flew to him and checked his forehead. he was hot, a lot hotter than she remembered then, she checked his chest. Two heartbeats met her ears. It was him. He was ill, very ill. She slapped his face and got his eyes to open. "Doctor, I have to get you into the house. Will the TARDIS be alright where it is?" He looked up and smiled, "Yeah, the old girl will be fine." With Grace's help, he managed to stand and she got him inside and to the guest room. There, she managed to get him out of his clothes and under the light blanket. She folded the clothes and laid them on a chair.

She went to get her medical bag and came back. She began her examination and found that, physically, there was nothing wrong. She took his temperature and even she was surprised by how high it was. The last time she had seen him, his skin had been cool to the touch but now, he was burning up. She sat back, having no clue as to how to treat him or even what was wrong with him. He wasn't human so, using human made drugs wouldn't help in fact, they could kill him.

But, he came to her. In spite of the fever ravaging his body, he had consciously come to her for help. Now, she had to justify that trust. Problem was, she had no idea what kind of fever he had or what it could do to him. She went over the options in her physician's mind and really there were very few. Then, she smiled. She leaned over his unconscious form and whispered, "I'll be back in a few, just rest, my friend." She went outside and walked up to the TARDIS. "I need to help him, can you help me?"

The doors opened and she went inside. It wasn't the TARDIS she remembered. The blue and white console and the library were gone, replaced by what looked like coral. Then, she saw some glowing arrows that lead deeper into the ship. She followed them and soon entered what could only be the TARDIS medical center. She looked around then, heard a whisper inside her head. She remembered him telling her TARDIS was telepathic so, she followed the directions and smiled after all, why wouldn't his ship talk to her, it had brought her back to life.

She looked over as a small box appeared on the table. She opened it to reveal a filled syringe and instructions on how to administer the contents. She closed the box and picked it up. "Thank you." She said as she left. Once back in her house, she flew up to the guest room to administer the first injection. She placed the box in her medical bag and sat down in the chair close to the bed. She was reading her paper when she finally heard him stir. She put down the paper and sat on the edge of the bed as those brown eyes opened.

"Hello, Doctor." She looked down at him. His voice came in a whisper, "Grace, I found you." He managed a feeble smile. She brushed some of the wild hair back from his forehead. His brow was already cooler. "Yes, you found me. Now, what happened?" He grimiced, "I was stupid, poking my nose where it didn't belong. How did you treat..?" She smiled, "I asked TARDIS and she showed me what I needed to treat you. But, why come here?" He smiled, "You know. All of the Doctors on this little blue planet and you're the only one who had treated a Time Lord before."

He saw her eyes take on that faraway look he knew meant she was remembering. He took her hand, "You remember too?" Grace smiled, "How could I ever forget? That machine of yours brought me back." He smiled. "I was so glad she did." Grace looked at the clock on the wall. "Time for your next injection." She got the box out of her medical bag and checked the level in the syringe. Then, she looked at him, "Are you ok?" He managed a weak smile, "Just don't like needles." She grinned, "I'll let you in on a little secret, neither do I actually. You don't have to look." He smiled and turned his face away from her. He never felt the needle go in and mummured a small, "Thank you." when she put the box away.

She nodded, "There will be three more injections over the next twelve hours. According to the instructions, that should take care of this fever you have." He frowned, "What about the hospital?" She smiled, "You managed to arrive on the first day of my month long vacation. Don't worry, I don't usually go anywhere. They know not to call me for any reason. You have not interrupted anything." She patted his arm. "Sleep, you need to rest. I won't be far away." He nodded and his eyes closed. She went to her kitchen and made herself a small lunch. Once she had finished with that, she went back to sit in the chair and watch over him.

She had almost dozed off when suddenly, he was flailing in the sheets, calling out a name, "Rose! Rose!" Grace moved to the side of the bed and pulled him to her, rocking back and forth as he clung to her, her shoulder getting wet with his tears. She said nothing, just let him cry till he slipped back onto the bed, exhausted and asleep. She straightened the covers over him and settled back in her chair. She wondered but knew that if he wanted her to know, he would tell her when he was better at least, she hoped he would.

He was still asleep when she gave him the fourth injection. There was only one left and soon, He would be able to leave again. That thought did bring a bit of pain to her but, she shrugged it off. She had made her decision when his Eighth self had asked her to come but, she had said no. He had accepted her refusal but, she had cried all that night after he was gone. She missed him but, couldn't go with him. She wondered which regeneration this was. She might ask him when he awoke.

He awoke again that night, around 11:00 pm. She had her favorite CD playing softly, "Madama Butterfly." She heard from the bed. She smiled, "You remembered." He smiled as he pulled himself up and she put pillows at his back so he could set up. That was when she saw the jagged scar around his right wrist. She caught that hand in hers, "What happened?" He smiled sadly, "Another bout of stupidity." She looked at him and he smiled. "It happened after I regenerated into this form." She raised an eyebrow. "Grace," He took her hand in his and smiled sadly, "This is the second time I regenerated since I saw you."

She nodded, "I see, may I ask what happened or is it too painful to talk about right now?" He smiled, Grace never pushed him. She was willing to wait for him to talk. She deserved to know. "Grace, after I left you, I had to go home." "To Gallifrey?" She asked. He nodded. "It's gone now, all of it." She gasped, "Your home? Gone?" He simply nodded and she hugged him, "That had to be so hard to watch." He nodded and whispered, "Especially when you're the one who made it happen." Grace looked at him. "Tell me."

He sighed and told her about the Time War against the Daleks and what had to be done to stop them and his own people who had grown corrupt and arrogant. Grace listened. "That had to be hard on you." "It was," he said in a soft voice. "But, I knew what could happen if the Daleks attained the Mastery of Time. No corner of the universe would have been safe from them." He voice grew softer, "It hurt like hell though." Grace smiled, "I'm sure it did and the pain will probably never go away. I know mine doesn't."

He pulled away to look at her, "Your pain?" She nodded, "The pain I feel everytime I lose a patient. I know it's going to happen but that doesn't stop it from pulling me apart inside. I just can't let it show, especially around my patients." His hand reached up and pushed back her hair, "My sweet Grace, how hard it must be for you." She smiled, "Yes, but, I go on because if I don't, if I stop, I'm afraid I'll never start again. They need me." He nodded, "That's how I feel."

Grace swallowed and then looked at him. "I want to ask you about something. You don't have to tell me and if I'm poking around where I don't need to, tell me." He smiled. "What is it?" She took a deep breath. "Earlier in the day, you were still rather out of it, you started flailing at the sheets and called out one name, twice." She felt him stiffen then, he looked at her, "Rose?" He said. Grace nodded.

He leaned back against the pillows and told her about Rose and Canary Wharf. Grace listened, her eyes filling with tears at the pain he was feeling. She looked at him. "Not knowing must be the hardest thing to bear." He nodded, "Yeah, I know she's in that parallel universe but, that's all I know. She could have died, she could have..." he stopped as Grace laid her hand on his mouth. "Don't torture yourself that way. You said she chose to come back and help you, right?" He nodded, "Then don't even begin to think she could be dead, that's not fair to her."

He smiled, "Dear Grace, what made you this way?" Grace smiled, "I've never been able to watch people in pain, either physical or emotional. That's the main reason I became a doctor, so I could heal people." he nodded, bringing her hand to his lips to kiss. "I remember, when I was sitting in your kitchen." Grace laughed, "Yeah, you knew I wanted to hold back death." He smiled, "And you still do." She smiled, "I do manage to more and more but there are still those...." Her voice trailed off.

The Doctor smiled sadly, "I know, there are still the ones we can't save, no matter how hard we try." Grace nodded, "yeah, and it does hurt, especially the ones who come in too late." He nodded, still holding her hand. Grace wiped her eyes, "So, you're travelling alone now?" He nodded, "I had a friend for awhile but, she decided to come home, funny, she's a Doctor too. Doctor Martha Jones." Grace smiled, "Wonder what she thought the first time she heard your two hearts?"

The Doctor grinned, "She was very surprised, not as accepting as you were. At least, at first. She gradually got used to the fact that I'm different." Grace smiled softly, "I remember that day. You were sitting in one of my kitchen chairs." He chuckled, "Did you ever get a sofa?" She laughed, "You remembered that! Yes, I finally bought a new sofa after Brad had moved out." They both smiled then, Grace was somber. "I still remember the feel of your hand on mine when you moved it to the left side of your chest. I wasn't sure what was happening but then, I felt it."

He looked at her keenly, "Felt what, Grace?" She smiled, "Life, life in all of it's power and strength. Your hearts were in perfect sync with each other. I had never heard anything like that before and it's something I'll never forget. I never thanked you for that." "For what?" An eyebrow climbed into his hair. "For showing me what was possible, what was out there. For opening my eyes to the greater possibilities of life." He smiled, "Glad I could help but, you said no when I asked you to come with me."

Grace nodded, "I know. Part of me wanted to come because I was hurting from Brad's rejection of me and my life, almost dying will do that to you but, I remembered, I have responsibilities, people here who depend on me. I have their very lives in my hands and, I couldn't walk away from them, no matter how much I may have wanted to. I'm sorry I hurt you then." He looked at her, "Yes, I hurt but, I also understood and I was so proud of you. You stayed true to who you are, Grace and that meant more to me than anything else. Grace," He kissed her hand, "I'll always care about you, you know that."

She smiled, "I know and I you. Now," she became brisk and businesslike again, "Time for your last injection and after that, the fever should be completely gone from you." She got out the syringe and smiled at his childlike grimace as she administered it. "There, all done. Now, would you happen to be hungry?" He looked up, slightly surprised, "Yes, actually, I do believe I am." "Ok, anything in particular you would like?" He smiled, "Anything with bananas." She chuckled, "That won't be too hard to take care of. You relax, I'll see what I can come up with."

TBC

 


	2. Remembrance and Friendship

It had been a week and a half since the Doctor had landed in Grace Holloway's backyard. Now cleared of the fever, he was seated at her kitchen table in his usual clothes devouring at least a dozen and a half banana muffins she had bought. She had thought that as soon as he was well he would have been on his way but, he had decided he needed to stay a bit longer. They had missed each other and at night, they would sit in her backyard and he would point out various stars to her.

One evening, she was seated on the chaise lounger and he sat behind her, pulling her back against him.She felt safe and smiled as he talked on and on about the different galaxies. They were comfortable together and she liked that feeling. She had told him the guest room was his as long as he was there and he thanked her. TARDIS had been very quiet during all of this, perhaps sensing he needed this time off, as it were.

One night later, he was awakened by a sound and he sat up and listened. It was coming from Grace's room. He got up, tying the robe around himself he had retrieved from TARDIS and had padded down the hall. It sounded like she was crying. He opened the door quietly and saw her tossing and turning in bed, crying and saying something but, it was so soft even he couldn't make it out. He walked over to her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder only to have her wake with a scream.

He stepped back, "Grace?" She looked around wildly for a minute then, her eyes registered who was there and she broke down, sobbing. He sat on the side of her bed and pulled her into his arms. "Tell me." He said. It took a few minutes for her to compose herself and she managed a half smile. "Sorry, that hasn't happened in a long time. I guess seeing you brought it all back." "Brought what back, Grace?" He asked even though he was already sure what it was.

"What happened after we first met, after you had regenerated." he held her, her head on his shoulder. "The Master?" he asked. "Yeah, him and what happened." He smiled, "You haven't talked about it, even to me." She smiled, "I couldn't tell anybody about it here and I was afraid you would be upset with yourself over it." he smiled, "Still trying to protect me?" She smiled, "Yeah." He smiled back, "You need to talk, Grace, tell me." She stayed nestled in his arms as she talked.

"You know what he made me do and I was fighting him the whole time but, I couldn't. What hurt me the worse was when he made me hit you." The Doctor pulled her closer as she talked. "Then, there was that stupid restraint he had me put on you. I didn't want to, I really didn't but..." "I know, Grace, I know you fought him. It wasn't you."   
She nodded. "But, there was something else. After he had you there on the landing, he had released me from his control. Doctor," She looked at him with frightened, disgusted eyes, "He kissed me."

The Doctor shuddered, "I remember, Grace, he made me watch." She nodded, "It was so cold, so, unfeeling. So different from when we kissed in the park earlier. I felt so...so loved then." He smiled, "I know Grace, I did love you, still do in a way." She smiled, "I know that but then, when he threw me off the landing...." They both shuddered. The Doctor remembering that gut wrenching feeling he had as Grace's neck was broken.

Grace looked up at him, "You were crying when I came back." He nodded, "Yes, I was. I thought I had lost you." She smiled and nestled her head back on his shoulder. "I heard what you said when you hugged me." He smiled, "What did I say?" "You said, 'You came back'". He nodded, "Yes, I did." He looked down on her face and he kissed her. She wound her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. She whispered, "Stay with me, tonight. I'm not asking forever, just tonight." He pulled back to look into her clear green eyes.

"Grace, I love Rose." She nodded, "I know that, Doctor but, just one night is all I ask. I need you." He nodded, in a way, he needed her too, she was a friend, she understood things no one else did so, he laid down next to her and held her. That was all she wanted and it was what he needed. Soon, Grace was asleep with her head nestled on his chest. He smiled, she had positioned herself to where she could hear both of his hearts beating.

Sometime that night he also managed to get some sleep. When the sun streamed in the window, neither had changed position. Grace still had her head on his chest. She looked up to see his brown eyes looking at her and he smiled. "Feeling better?" She nodded, "Yes, and you?" He got up and stretched, "A lot better." Grace pointedly looked at the door and he took the hint. He kissed her forehead and walked out. She showered and dressed and came to the kitchen.

She stopped, he was making breakfast! She leaned against the doorway and smiled. He turned and saw her. "Grace!" She shook her head, "You did this before, the day before you left. You're leaving, aren't you?" He turned, a shadow of sadness in his eyes. "Yes, I am, I have to." Grace nodded, "I know, This is probably the longest you've ever stayed on one planet." He smiled, "Almost." She sat down and picked up her coffee.

"You miss her." She said. His body stiffened and she saw his fist clench. "Yes, I miss her, miss her like hell." Grace smiled, "I know you'll find her, Doctor, you can't stop trying to find her." She got up and walked over to him, cupping his cheek in her hand. "You love her, I understand that. Find her." He pulled Grace to him, "You understand so much my angel." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "I'll always value what you and I have." "I know, Doctor, I know. But, you love Rose, Find her."

They walked out into the backyard where TARDIS was patiently waiting. He unlocked the door and looked at Grace. She stepped back but, he reached for her and pulled her to him, kissing her, not lightly like he had the first time but passionately, sending her head spinning. Then, he stepped back, "He always loved you Grace, up until the day he died." She nodded, "I know, I loved him, still do." He nodded and stepped inside. She retreated to the porch as the TARDIS disappeared from sight. She then went back into the house.

In the TARDIS, the Doctor stood at the console, setting coordinates and spinning dials. Seeing Grace again had helped resolve some old issues and had set him back on his path. He smiled, when he found Rose again, he wanted her to meet Grace. He had the feeling those two would get along. He smiled, Grace was an unusual woman in so many ways. Now, however, he had his Rose to find. He went off spinning into space.

Finis

 


End file.
